Meet the Midi—the Must-Have Boot for Fall

For those of us of the opinion that everything looks better the more leg you show, the midi boot—so-called for its mid-calf height; a slight reach above ankle, a tipple below the knee—can provide a plethora of personal challenges. The midi, you see, might be the one boot in existence that can convince me and my fellow leggy (or leg-proud) brethren into a midi-skirt, those prairie reminiscent-but-somehow-chic shin-sweepers that I always think will look effortless à la an American cowgirl and instead make me feel uniquely dumpy by way of the imagination of Laura Ingalls Wilder. But you see, that’s before I met the midi boot. Sliding easily under fall’s flared hems, if you're a trouser type, the long-on-personality midi boot is more for your money—more texture, more pattern, more more—and it’s officially the must-have for autumn. With python or snakeskin or suede, grommets or shearling or slick calfskin, why would you want these beauties to end at the ankle?

Still not convinced? Try a pair with a midi-skirt, and suddenly an expanse of shin (and only shin) becomes something entirely alluring, in the way a flash of wrist or ankle might have caused shockwaves through a Victorian audience. The trick to styling? Find your sweet spot: For those with a bulkier calf, aim for a boot that ends just under the widest part of the muscle. For those with slim limbs, the world is your oyster, but a heel always helps. Still clinging to your minis? Tights will even the whole thing out in a pinch. The moral of the story here? A midi never felt so right. Here, ten of the best for the season ahead.